Since When Do HER Wishes Come True?
by xVioLyn
Summary: Do you believe in fairies? Kairi Jacobson does, and with good reason too. One of her best friends reveals himself to be one when he zaps her, along with Hayden Black into their favorite movie... Sequel. Disclaimer.
1. Story Time

So. The long awaited sequel finally reveals itself, eh? DX I'm sorry it took me so insanely long to post it. Truth be told, I haven't been writing very much lately...But, good news. I just got a computer, and I should get the internet very soon, so I will hopefully be able to update more often. That is, if I start writing more...Reviews always help. They're like inspiration, they keep me going.

Also, if you're looking at this and you haven't read _Since When Do My Wishes Come True?_ you may want to go read that first. I will do my best to explain things as I go, but this IS a sequel. Anywho, please enjoy.

(Original title, eh? XD I couldn't think of anything...But suggestions would be appreciated. Please and thank you. If I come up with a better title, I shall indeed change it.)

_Since When Do HER Wishes Come True?_

**Chapter 1**: Story Time

"Because you and I _are_ alike, and there will come a moment when you have a chance to show it. To do the right thing."

"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."

Sequels are wondrous things, are they not? They're awesome. Just when you think something is over, _bam_! It's just beginning. Of course, not all sequels are great; some suck.

But I had high hopes for this one. _Dead Man's Chest_. I couldn't wait! Neither could my two best friends, Scott Jinx and Kairi Jacobson. Scott and I had been friends for as long as I could remember. We'd tried dating once, back when we were fifteen – three years ago – but it hadn't worked out. So we just went back to being friends. Kairi had moved to my town last year. She was completely obsessed with _Pirates of the Caribbean_, as I had been.

Had been. That's right. _I_ was no longer obsessed with it, although I did still love it with a passion…Well, there was a character, actually, that I loved more than the movie itself. His name starts with _J_ and ends with _ack_. And I don't know about love, but I know he likes me. A lot.

Kairi, on the other hand, is in love with Commodore James Norrington. She loves writing, so of course she writes fan fictions, all of which are JamesOC – her being the OC. She's a really good writer, too.

"Hayden!" Kairi squealed as the movie started.

We sat in the packed movie theater at the midnight showing. Everyone cheered as the lights dimmed. My heartbeat quickened and I waited for the previews to end. Kairi sat on my right, Scott on my left. When the previews finished, water covered the screen. Kairi gripped my arm tightly, clearly very excited. My heart began pounding as the movie title rose from the depths before fading away. All the while, the sound of a heart beating pulsed in the background.

The picture changed; rain then poured. Teacups were drowning. Music sheets, dripping, clutched to the stands, blowing in the breeze. A bouquet became visible, and as the camera rose, Elizabeth was shown.

We continued watching, completely engrossed in what was going on. They're being arrested! On their wedding day! Where's James?! Where's Jack?! Who exactly is this Cutler Beckett?! Yes, it's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow!!

Kairi and I were whispering back and forth, providing our own commentary. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Scott shake his head as he quietly laughed at his two crazy friends. Hee hee.

"James!" Kairi whisper-screamed the instant she heart his voice for the first time. She didn't even have to see him to freak. She sighed, staring at the screen. "I wish…" she trailed off with another sigh.

I glanced over at Scott, seeing him sit up a little straighter. "You wish?" I questioned. "Care to finish that thought?"

"Why bother? It'll never come true anyways," she reasoned. Her eyes didn't leave the screen. They stayed on her beloved James.

"Oh, come on. You never know," I tried. I was inwardly grinning. Oh, God. This was perfect! My heartbeat sped up as Jack's face appeared, not only in my mind, but in front of me as well.

"Whatever. Fine. I wish we could be in the movie." She turned to me. "Happy?" She raised an eyebrow when she saw my grin. "Oh, like _you've_ never wished that before."

"Scott?" I said, spinning in my stationary seat.

He smiled at me, nodded, and said, "One pit stop first."

"What?" Kairi questioned, confused.

Then darkness enveloped us. It had been dark before, of course. I mean, we _had_ been in a movie theater. But the glow from the screen – and the screen itself – disappeared. I faintly heard Kairi scream as the sensation of falling and floating overwhelmed me.

We landed in Kairi's bedroom, falling to the floor. "What the f –"

"Language!" I warned, cutting her off. "You can't say f –"

"In a Disney movie," Scott interrupted.

I smiled sheepishly. "Exactly." I looked around Kairi's room, which admittedly looked a lot like mine. It was covered in posters. But the majority of hers were of James Norrington, of course.

"What the Hell are you guys talking about? We're not _in_ a Disney movie. And damn it, how'd we get to my room?! _We're missing the movie!_ Unless…" She paused, a horrified expression crossing her face. "Unless I fell asleep in the theater and this is just all some psycho dream."

I laughed. I had to! "Of course it's not a dream!" I told her.

"That's what Dream-Hayden would say!" she accused, pointing at me. "Ok, fine," she said when I rolled my eyes. "What the frick is going on then?" She looked at me, then Scott, her gaze lingering suspiciously. "Well?"

"Go ahead, Scotty," I told him, knowing I was going to cut in at the best part.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, Kai. Here's the truth – I'm…I'm a –"

"Fairy!" I interrupted. Oops…hee hee. He was explaining…Riiight. It didn't matter, though. The look on Kairi's face would've been the same anyway. It clearly said, "What. The. Frick."

"How about we explain it once we get there," he suggested.

"What are you two _talking_ about?" Kairi demanded, crossing her arms.

"You'll see," I told her.

"Ready?" Scott asked us.

I nodded and the room began to fade as Kairi yelled, "What the Hel –" Before we could see anything, we heard water – waves, as they lapped against a ship. Said ship creaked or groaned occasionally, but I knew her to be a worthy vessel.

"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum," said a gruff voice. He laughed, and a bell tolled right after.

Mist sprayed over us as we got our vision back. Moonlight spilled over the deck of the _Black Pearl_. Gibbs stood in front of us, yielding a bottle of rum. He eyed me, finally speaking, "You again." I felt flattered that he'd remember me.

Birds cawed overhead and we all looked up to watch them as they passed.

The four of us stood in silence until he asked, "Where'd ye come from?"

I looked back and forth between my friends. Scott appeared calm; Kairi's mouth hung open, staring at Gibbs. "Um, we just decided to drop in. Say hi. You know. I mean, it's been so long – I missed you." I smiled at him, wondering how long it would be before Jack got here.

"That didn't answer my question," he said slowly, shaking his head.

"Hayden. Answers. Now." Kairi seemed to have found her voice. She was staring at Gibbs. "Is…is this real?" She walked over to him and poked his cheek. "Feels real enough…"

"Gibbs?" I said. He turned to me. "We'll be in Captain Sparrow's quarters for a bit. I think it's story time…" Gibbs just narrowed his eyes as Kairi and Scott followed me into Jack's cabin. I sat at his desk, leaning back to rest my feet on it. Kairi, still wide eyed at everything, sat on the bed, after a moment's hesitation. Scott stood between us.

And I told her my story, the whole tale of my adventure in this world. Scott explained about his power. He gave a demonstration too (in which he turned my hair blue…)

"So let me get this straight," Kairi began. "Scott…is a fairy – without wings. He can grant wishes…So when I wished we were in the movie, he made my wish come true. Now we're a part of the movie?"

"Correct," Scott confirmed, nodding.

Kairi was silent a moment. I stood up, walked over to her, and pinched her arm. "Ow!" she yelled, slapping at my hand. "Ok, ok. It's not a dream. It's real…It's really real…" she trailed off. "So, so I'll get to meet James?!" She squealed. "Omigod!!" Her hazel eyes lit up. She would get to meet the love of her life, just as I'd gotten to meet mine.

That's when we heard feet shuffling out on deck. My heart leapt. Was it Jack? Would he still like me? Was I different? Well…yes, my platinum blonde hair was longer, going past my shoulders. I…I wasn't wearing piratey clothes!

I turned to Scott urgently. "Neh!" by the look on his face, he didn't understand. Neither, apparently, did Kairi. I sighed, hanging my head a moment before saying, "Pi-ra-tey clothes! Hurry!"

He rolled his eyes, waving his hand toward me as he said, "There ya go." On all three of us appeared a loose, white shirt, vest (I had faded blue, Scott had green, and Kairi violet), breeches, and boots.

I quickly hugged him, then grabbed Kairi's hand and dragged her after me as I threw open the door and ran on deck, just in time to hear Gibbs say, "Not _quite_ according to plan…"

--

There ya go. Short, yes...sorry. I just wanted to get it out. I feel bad I waited so long. Chapters will hopefully get longer. Reviews will be muchly appreciated.


	2. A Nice Little Reunion

Sorry sorry sorry. DX I'm not nice. I didn't mean to wait over a month to update. I just had a little trouble writing. And even now, this chapter isn't all that much longer than the last. Oh well. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Chapter 2**: A Nice Little Reunion

As Cotton put Jack's jacket over his shoulders, the captain said, "Complications arose, ensued, were overco-" He stopped mid-word, as he caught sight of me. He took a step forward, never taking his eyes off me. Perhaps he was worried that should he look away, I would disappear, as if I were but a mere fantasy. He narrowed his eyes a bit, not willing to believe it was really me, then glanced back to Gibbs who handed the skeleton leg to Cotton.

"You got what you went in for, then?" asked Gibbs.

"Mm-hm," Jack replied as he began walking straight towards me. They'd been further down the deck, and now Gibbs rushed after his captain, as said captain pulled a rolled piece of cloth from in his vest and waved it at the first mate.

They came to a stop in front of me, Kairi, Scott, and the rest of Jack's crew. "Captain," Gibbs began.

Jack cut him off, taking another step towards me and speaking my name. "Hayden…" My heart was beating like crazy and it felt like there were hundreds of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. After an entire year, he still had an amazing effect on me.

"Jack," I said, my voice coming out quieter than I expected. "Hi."

"Captain," Gibbs tried again. Jack looked back at him. "I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more…shiny, what with the _Isla de Muerta_ going all pear-shaped, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it."

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," said Leech.

Marty added, "And the hurricane."

"Aye," chorused the crew.

"All in all, it seems sometime since we did a speck of honest piratin'," Gibbs spoke on behalf of the crew once more.

"Shiny," Jack repeated.

"Aye, shiny," the first mate confirmed.

"Is that how you're all feeling, then? That perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?" Even as he spoke, I could see his eyes kept darting back to me. Evidently, he needed to deal with the crew before he could really speak to me. Fine. I could wait.

I looked behind me, at Kairi and Scott, as Cotton's parrot squawked and yelled, "Walk the plank!" Kairi was staring at the scene before her, as if she still couldn't believe we were _in_ the movie. Scott was watching with interest, but as soon as I looked back, his eyes moved to me. He smiled warmly, and I smiled back.

"What did the bird say?!"

I slowly turned back around to see Jack pointing his gun at the parrot.

"Do not blame the bird. Show us what is on that piece of cloth there." That's when Jack the Skeletal Monkey came down screeching. Jack the Non-Monkey attempted to shoot it. Gun failed, the monkey grabbed the cloth and ran away.

Jack grabbed someone's gun, aimed, and shot it. It stumbled, rolled, and dropped the cloth as it continued running.

"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs told him.

"It does me," Jack argued as Marty ran to collect the cloth.

He picked it up, examining it before stating, "It's a key."

"No," Jack said, tossing a glance back to me before continuing, "Much more better!" He moved forward as he spoke now to retrieve the cloth. He grabbed it, holding it up. "It is a _draw-ring_ of a key."

Suddenly, I realized part of the reason he kept looking at me. He thought I was going to steal his lines. But…I couldn't. I hadn't even seen the entire movie the full way through - _I hadn't. _So…I had no idea what was going to happen after the Tortuga scene. _Shit_.

Now I wished we'd have waited. But I also had no intention of leaving.

"Gentlemen," Jack's voice broke through my thought process, "what do keys do?" I hadn't noticed the crew moving forward. Kairi grabbed my arm and drug me around the main mast, to get a better view. Scott followed us. Gibbs looked about to answer, but it was Leech who said, "Keys…unlock things?"

"No duh, genius," Kairi muttered, rolling her eyes. I looked at her and grinned; she smirked back.

"And whatever this key unlocks," Gibbs jumped in, not about to miss his turn, "inside there's something valuable. So…we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks."

Jack smiled, "No." The first mate looked confused. Jack stepped towards him, explaining, "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?" He said all this in a matter-of-fact tone that made it sound simple. I _so_ wanted to get that memorized.

Gibbs thought he was finally catching on. "So we're going after this key."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You're not making any sense at all." Gibbs' face fell. "Any more questions?"

"So…" Marty began from behind. Jack turned back to him. "Do we have a heading?"

"Ha!" the captain said. "A heading." He pulled out his compass. "Set sail in a…general…" His hand pointed in one direction, then the other. "…that-way direction."

"Captain?" Gibbs questioned.

I wondered if the compass still went in multiple directs or if it pointed at me, like it used to. Maybe it _did_ point to me, but he was trying to get it to point another way…Hmm.

"Come on," the captain ordered, "snap to and make sail. You know how this works. Go on. Oi, oi, _oi_!" He walked through his crew members, and as he did so I grabbed Kairi, as she'd down to me, and pulled her back to where we'd originally stood.

No one noticed Marty talking to Gibbs. _I_ really didn't care.

Jack turned and let his eyes fall onto me, looking me over. I held his full attention, finally.

"Well, captain, shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards his cabin. He gave me a half-grin and I rolled my eyes, deciding to lead the way. He followed, as did Kairi and Scott.

We stood in the room a moment before Jack went and sat behind his desk. "Welcome back, love," he said to me.

I marched over to the desk, standing in front of it and placing my hands on it. "Jack, you remember Scott?" He seemed to ponder this a moment as if merely _trying_ to remember. After a minute, I frowned. "Jack."

"Oh, yes, yes. 'Course I remember," he then answered.

"Well, I brought another friend this time, in case you didn't notice," I told him, angling my head to where she stood.

"Oh, I noticed," he replied, grinning.

"Jack!" I scolded. Pouting, I jerked my thumb over my shoulder saying, "That's Kairi." His grin grew devilish as his eyes appraised her. My face fell as I said, "She's not interested in you, Jack. She came to see someone else."

His grin grew wider as his eyes shifted back to meet mine. Sudden tears pricked my eyes. I willed myself not to cry; I couldn't, not in front of my friends, and _especially_ not in front of Jack. "I really missed you," I whispered.

Jack's grin disappeared, and although he didn't say it, I could tell from the look in his eyes that he had missed me too.

"Scott," Kairi said suddenly, "let's go…um, talk to Gibbs."

He didn't miss a beat. "Sure. Come on, then."

"No, wait," she paused. I glanced at her. "I want to stuff the monkey!!" Then she raced out of the room. Scott followed behind, shaking his head and chuckling softly.

When they'd left, Jack stood and walked around his desk, stopping in front of me. For a moment, neither of us moved. We just stood there, staring at each other, studying each other for changes, or else for memory's sake. I never wanted to forget his face, this close, right in front of me.

He made the first move, slowly bringing his hands to rest on my hips. He pulled me closer and as he did, I brought my arms up around his neck. We gazed into each other's eyes and then, finally, he lowered his lips to mine. The shock that ran through my body surprised me. I couldn't believe how much my memories of this had faded, how I had forgotten this feeling of kissing him.

I lost track of everything around us, even momentarily forgetting where I was. All I knew was that I was back, safe in Jack Sparrow's arms, and I was so unbelievably happy.

--

After a while Jack and I ventured back out on deck. When Kairi saw us, she gave me a sly grin and waggled her eyebrows up and down. I rolled my eyes at her. The crew had gone to bed and Kairi and Scott were left to their own devices, playing with Jack the undead monkey.

"So," Kairi said as she approached me, "have a nice little reunion?" She grinned.

"Mmhmm," was my only reply.

"'Ey, Jack," she said, turning to him. "What're the sleeping arrangements?"

"I believe your dear friend Scott can take care of that," Jack told her, nodding in the fairy's direction.

We made our way back into Jack's cabin. Immediately, three beds appeared, courtesy of Scott. They were pretty small, but the captain's quarters were not all too big. We each chose one, Jack taking his own, of course. It was dark; there was one lantern sitting on Jack's desk.

It seemed kind of odd, I thought, that Jack and I weren't alone. With Scott and Kairi here. Before, Scott would only pop in occasionally, and I hadn't even _met_ Kairi back then; she hadn't moved yet. Not that it made me sad to have them with me now. It was just something to get used to. I was used to being surrounded by pirates at all times, but not with my friends at the same time.

As I settled down for bed, listening to the waves lap against the ship's hull, thoughts swirled around in my head. It was hard to pick out one in specific so I just laid there, letting them float through my head of their own accord.

After a time, I still hadn't fallen asleep, but I could hear everyone else's breathing was steady. I _was_ tired; exhausted, really. So why couldn't I sleep?

I laid there for a while longer. Finally, I got out of bed. I hesitated a moment before approaching Jack's bed. I laid down next to him, cuddling close. He began to stir, but didn't open his eyes. The lantern was long since out, but I could faintly see a grin form on his lips. He draped an arm over me and pulled me even closer, placing a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled, closing my eyes. This was much better.

--

Sorry again. Please review. I love feedback. I'll try to update sooner this time, and also try to make the next chapter a little longer.


	3. Some Evening Steam

Ok, I realize that I am the most horrible author ever. T.T I didn't mean to stop writing completely. My senior year of high school last year kept me busy and my first semester of college was insane, but I should have a lot more free time this semester so I'm going to start writing again! Also, having seen the trailer for _On Stranger Tides_ I realized that I _need_ to keep writing. I miss it too much. :)

Also, I changed the rating to M instead of T. I decided that at some point there will probably be some "mature" content. Like, maybe there's a teensy bit in this chapter. ;) Enjoy.

**Chapter 3**: Some Evening Steam

The following day, Scott and Kairi were hard at work. Jack was standing lazily at the helm, but Hayden was still fast asleep. Kairi had been singing (rather loudly) since Jack put them to work a few hours ago.

Scott hardly noticed, though. He was lost in a world of his own. His thoughts swirled as he attempted to sift through them. Most of them were about Hayden… Okay, who was he kidding? They were _all_ about Hayden.

He'd seen her empty bed when he'd woken up. She'd slept with Jack last night. Why had he even bothered poofing up _three_ beds? He should have figured Hayden would end up in the pirate captain's bed. He knew they hadn't actually _done_ anything last night, but it still hurt nonetheless. His feelings were as strong as they'd ever been, maybe stronger even. He loved her, but she didn't notice. She never would. She was too far-gone with Jack. And as much as that pained him, he'd rather see her happy than be happy himself. So what if that made him a martyr?

With a start, he realized Kairi had stopped singing and working and was staring at him. "Why so glum, Scott?" she asked, once she saw his attention on her.

"It's nothing," he told her. "Don't worry about it, Kai."

"Scotty. Really?"

"Really what?" He didn't know what she was getting at.

"I always wondered why you didn't make a move. I guess this explains it," she said, looking around at the ship.

"What are you talking about?"

"Scott, I know. I know you like Hayden. A lot. It's kind of obvious. Well, to everyone but her. I love Hayden, but she can be _so_ oblivious to things."

Scott stopped what he was doing, holding the rope he'd been pulling limply in his hands. Were his feelings really so clear to everyone? Everyone but the person who matters most, it would seem. He sighed. "Yes, this is the reason I haven't said anything to her." That and the fact that even without Jack, he wasn't sure about her feelings toward him.

"You know, if you don't say something to her quick, things could happen." Kairi waggled her eyebrows.

"Yeah. I know," Scott replied curtly.

"Sorry," she said. He looked up at her. She wore a morose expression, much like himself. "Look, I know what it's like. What it feels like when you love someone who's in love with somebody else. And no, I'm not talking about James.

In the last year he'd known her, he'd never seen Kairi look like this. This girl could relate to both he and Hayden. How strange.

"Oddly enough," she began, "_Pirates_ helped me get over him. Because I found James. Maybe it's not healthy to love a fictional character, but hey, look what happened. We're in the movie and he's real now. I just keep praying that I can get him to like me." She gave a sad, small smile.

It was then that Gibbs decided to interrupt them. "You're not bein' paid to stand around and chat."

"Oh, Gibbsy," Kairi said, plastering a huge grin on her face. "We're not being paid anything."

Gibbs frowned at her. "Get back to work before Jack has my head."

She complied, as did Scott, and Gibbs walked away to chastise another crewmember. "If you ask me," Kairi said while working, "you should make your move soon." And with that, she went back to singing her heart out.

…

When I woke, I was alone in the cabin. No sign of Jack, or even Kairi and Scott. I sat up in Jack's bed, yawning, stretching. I slowly made my way out of the captain's quarters.

The crew was busy at work, Scott and Kairi seemingly attempting to help out. Jack was at the wheel, staring at his compass.

I noticed then that the sun was beginning to set. _What?_

Kairi spotted me and rushed over. "You're finally up!" I guess I really _had_ been exhausted. "We tried waking you up _sooo_ many times, but you refused to get up. So finally we just left you to sleep." She shrugged.

I stood motionless for a moment before finally asking, "So I wasted _a whole day_?"

"It's not like you missed anything – nothing more from the movie till tonight, with Boo– "

"Shhh," I cut her off. We didn't need anyone here knowing what would happen next – not that we knew much. "Yeah, okay."

"Oh! You know what, though?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Jackie, the monkey – that cute little bugger stole Jack's hat earlier." She wore a huge smile. "It was so adorable."

That made me laugh. "So is the monkey officially Jackie now?" I asked. She grinned and nodded. I waved to Jack as he spotted me and left his post.

Even if nothing had happened to make some progress in the _movie_, I had still missed out on a whole day I could've been spending with Jack. I sighed, watching as he approached me. _Tonight, tonight._ He will get the Black Spot – that nasty growth-_thing_ on his hand. Bleck. After that? He freaks out and we rush off to the cannibals.

He'll be a little distracted at that point to really notice me. Meaning I would have to grab his attention now, and do my best to hold it through the rest of the movie.

But how do I do that? I suppose there is one way that would probably get it… I mean, we've kissed a little, but that's about it. Plus I guess I do owe him for how long it's been since we've been together. But do I really want to do _that_? I mean, am I ready for that? I'm still a virgin, but if I could think of the best person to lose my virginity to, it would definitely be to Jack Sparrow! It's not like I'm a little kid anymore; I'm older and much wiser even than just a year ago.

Is this the right time, though? I mean, I want it to be special for me, and hopefully for Jack too (even though he's probably had sex with like hundreds of women before…)

As Jack approached me I attempted a carefree smile, although I suspect it looked a little strained. I think he noticed because he wrapped his arm around my waist, giving a little squeeze. "Evenin', love. Or mornin' for you." He grinned at me, directing me back toward his quarters. "Let's have a little chat, shall we?"

He led me inside, closing the door behind us before pulling me closer and crushing his lips against mine in a passionate kiss. This was nothing like yesterday. Yesterday's kiss had been sweet and gentle, but this…this was dark and sexy. This was seductive. And _this was like nothing I had ever experienced._

Jack put one hand behind my head, keeping it firmly in place, and he moved his other hand to caress my breast.

My eyes, which I didn't even remember closing, popped open in surprise. Ok, I wasn't just a virgin. I had never done anything but kiss. I know I should have seen this coming, but I couldn't help my reaction. I tried pulling away a bit, but Jack still had a steel grip on me. "Wait," I said against his lips.

He complied, loosening his grip on me just slightly. "Yes, love?" he questioned. There was a flame in his eyes I had never before seen.

"Jack…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I didn't exactly know if I wanted to share with him that I was…well, completely new to _everything_ (in the bedroom sense, at least).

He waited for me to continue, his eyes staring piercingly into mine.

"Well, um…I…Jack, I – "

I jumped as someone knocked on the door. "What is it?" Jack yelled to whoever it was, rather harshly. He dropped his arms from around me, and I took a baby-step back as the door opened.

"It's just me," Scott said poking his head in the doorway. It seemed like he was pretending not to notice that he'd interrupted something. "The guy at the wheel sent me to ask if you have an exact heading yet? He doesn't want to get us lost once we all go to sleep."

When he spoke, his voice was low and gruff. "Tell 'im to keep going straight," Jack said with a glare in Scott's direction.

Scott looked a little uneasy, but he gave a sheepish half-smile and said, "Will do," before hightailing it out of the room.

Neither Jack nor I spoke for what felt like ages. We didn't move either, just stayed frozen in place as if the closing door had stopped time. I sensed his eyes on me, but I stared at his chest instead of looking up to meet his gaze.

For once I was utterly speechless.

Finally, I murmured, "Maybe you should go check on everything before it gets too late." I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his, but he looked away. I couldn't place his expression. He looked almost….hurt.

With a flash, the emotion was gone, and he tipped his hat to me. "Aye, love. What a marvelous idea." Then he was gone, out the door.

_What was that?_ I had never seen Jack look like that before. Had my refusal to speak upset him? Or was it simply because I had stopped his advances? I wasn't sure, although I secretly hoped it wasn't only about sex. I want Jack to love me, but I don't just want him to be thinking about sex… Is that too much to ask? Maybe too much from Jack Sparrow.

I sighed.

_Dead Man's Chest_ was definitely going to be more difficult than expected.

…

I exited the room a few moments after him, allowing time to recollect myself. When I looked around, I noticed Jack was doing a quick onceover of the ship, making sure everything was still in order. In that moment, he almost looked responsible. His face was somber through his entire examination.

Something was wrong with him. _Was it my fault?_

After circling the ship, he disappeared back into his cabin. I didn't follow, deciding he needed some alone time. I wandered over to where Scott and Kairi sat, in the middle of the deck. "Yo ho, yo ho. A pirate's life for me," Kairi sang, while playing with little Jackie. "Isn't he just the cutest little bugger you ever did see?" she asked, looking up at me. "He's smart, too." She grinned, patting the wood floor next to her.

I sat. "Oh, definitely." I tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach my eyes. Kairi glanced up and frowned, but didn't say anything with Scott there, who didn't seem to notice anything was off. He also did speak of his obvious interruption of a little bit ago. In fact, he seemed lost in his own little world.

Kairi let Jackie run off on his own.

"Scotty," I said suddenly, "we need to find you a girl."

He looked up, clearly startled. "What? Here? There's really no need for that." He was stumbling over his words a little.

Kairi's mouth twitched upward, clearly finding this humorous. "Yeah, Scott. Is there _any_ girl in this movie that you want?"

"I don't think Elizabeth will be an option, but you could still try." My smile was genuine this time.

"We can help. You just have to let us know _who_." She winked at him, giggling. I almost felt like I was missing something, looking between the two of them, but I shrugged it off.

After a brief silence, he shook his head, a grin playing across his lips. "No, I'm fine. I'll let you know if I decide I like someone, ok?"

"Alright," I said, "but don't come crying to us when you're alone because I have Jack and Kairi is gettin' it on with Norry." I winked at Kai, who actually blushed. I don't think I'd ever seen her blush.

We both chuckled for a moment, Scott just shaking his head in exasperation. "You two…" He laughed.

I grinned at my best friends, who grinned back at me. Sitting here with them was comforting, and I nearly forgot about my predicament with Jack…nearly.

Until Kairi suggested we go hang out in the captain's quarters with him. I agreed only because the sun had nearly set, daylight almost nonexistent. Plus this meant that Bootstrap's visit would be soon, and we all wanted to be there for that.

So we piled into Jack's room. He was sitting at his desk, studying a map. He didn't look up, knowing it was us. He continued what he was doing even when I plopped down on his desk and said, "Figure out where we're goin' yet?" I flashed a carefree smile, but he didn't even glance up to see. Just mumbled a small "mhmm" and continued staring at the map.

Kairi and Scott decided to relax on their beds, Kairi humming all the while.

After a few minutes, I grew bored and looked around for something to entertain myself. I noticed Jack's rum bottle and swiped it off his desk. Since he was ignoring me, he pretended not to see.

The bottle was almost gone. Maybe a quarter of it was left. I took a swig, immediately wincing. I'd forgotten what rum was like. I hadn't had any since my last adventure here. After the burning in my throat subsided, I took another drink.

I drank slowly, sometimes only taking little sips, but after about a half hour, I had the bottle polished off. I set it back on his desk.

A moment later, he picked it up. He stared at it as he tipped it upside down, looking troubled. He lifted an eyebrow, never taking his eyes off the bottle. "Why is the rum always gone?"

_That's our cue_.

Kairi and Scott perked up from their resting places. They'd been waiting. Kairi leapt up from her bed. "Action time," I heard her whisper.

The ship rocked, and as Jack got up, he stumbled. Picking up his hat, he muttered, "Oh." He put it on and went to grab his jacket. "That's why."

"Let's go," I said cheerfully.

Jack seemed to have forgotten what transpired between us earlier. "Come along, love," he said, draping his arm around my shoulders. He grabbed a lantern before we descended into the bowels of the ship.

"_Finally_ something to do!" Kairi exclaimed.

Jack eyed me warily. "Something's about to happen, isn' it?" he questioned.

"Of course not," I lied, unconvincingly.

He didn't say anything for a moment, until we descended the first set of stairs and he saw the sleeping forms of his crew. He paused before saying –

"As you were, gents," came Kairi's voice from behind us. Jack and I turned back just in time to see her salute the sleepers.

"Stay outta my head, lass." Jack eyed her cautiously before heading toward more stairs, dragging me with him. I giggled.

I didn't know about my friends, but with each step we took towards the beginnings of our exciting adventure, my anticipation grew. Getting to meet Will's dad would certainly be a treat, especially since he wasn't expecting me, Kairi, and Scott to be tagging along with Jack.

We reached a door at the bottom of the stairs and he let go of me to dig his keys out of his jacket pocket. My excitement mounted as he unlocked the door and opened it. We all looked around the barrel-filled room with only the dim lantern light to see by. Jack hung the keys on a post and continued through the room. When we reached the racks on the wall, Jack's gaze lingered on the barnacles encrusting parts of them. He turned, saw the bottle on a lower rack. "Ah."

But when he grabbed it, that deep voice emanated through the room. "Time's run out, Jack."

We all froze.


End file.
